|
|
|
|
||
|
|
LOUISVILLE, KY - Jun 11, 2002 - Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), through its subsidiary Humana Insurance Company, announced today the introduction of a health plan for individuals, designed to offer affordable health coverage along with a great degree of choice, freedom and flexibility. Called HumanaOne, the new plan marks the company’s first large-scale venture into the individual health insurance arena, giving individual consumers an important new alternative in Humana, one of the nation’s largest health benefits companies.
"Humana saw an opportunity to offer something of lasting value for consumers at a time when fewer employers are offering health benefits," said Elizabeth Bierbower, Humana’s vice president of product development. "Humana recently debuted its innovative SmartSuitesm array of health benefit plans for large employers. Like those plans, HumanaOne was created with the consumer in mind, and includes a variety of plan options and features meant to affordably meet the individual consumer’s need for health coverage." HumanaOne is built to appeal to individuals and families not insured by their employer, including self-employed entrepreneurs, students, early retirees, those between jobs and others needing health insurance protection. Humana is now offering the plan in Illinois and Ohio, via independent insurance agents and directly to consumers through online and mass marketing. The plan will be introduced in other Humana markets later this year and next year. "In many locations, there are only a handful of companies offering individual health coverage, so our plan should come as welcome news for consumers," said Thomas Stoiber, director of Humana’s individual product segment. "We believe we can offer individuals and their families the same kind of benefits enjoyed by employees of large companies." According to Stoiber, Humana’s size and negotiating clout allow the company to secure volume discounts from doctors and hospitals across the nation. "Unlike many other individual health carriers, Humana most often contracts directly with physicians and other health care providers," said Stoiber. "By owning our own networks, we can achieve greater cost savings and pass those savings along to consumers. As a result, HumanaOne is priced competitively to fit within the consumer’s tight budget." HumanaOne’s PPO arrangement allows consumers to visit any doctor they choose, or they can receive a better level of benefits by visiting one of the doctors, hospitals and other facilities within Humana’s network. Humana has approximately 400,000 contracts with health care providers in 44 states, including approximately 296,000 physicians, 3,700 hospitals and 103,200 ancillary providers and dentists. Humana also contracts with approximately 44,000 pharmacies. Humana’s national presence means those who work or travel outside their home area can receive in-network benefits from any of these contracted physicians and other care providers, which is important for frequent travelers, students attending college away from home and anyone who moves to a new area. "When they move, many people face the additional burden of finding new health coverage because their policy is with a local carrier," said Stoiber. "Because Humana maintains contractual relationships with health care providers across the nation, HumanaOne policyholders can simply take their coverage with them, which means one less worry." Humana offers expedited underwriting on its new individual plan, meaning consumers can receive a price quote over the phone, and many will qualify for same day coverage. In most cases, Humana’s expedited underwriting yields approval in less than 24 hours. In addition, Humana guarantees premium rates on its HumanaOne plan for one year, provided the customer maintains the same benefits and resides within the same geographic area. HumanaOne will also offer consumers access to a secure Web page with personalized health insurance information, including benefit details, claims information, health reference materials and more. This online content will give consumers additional information they can use to make educated decisions about their own care and coverage. Consumers use a unique protected password issued by Humana to access personal information, and Humana employs a variety of technologies to ensure the privacy and security of online information. Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 6.5 million medical members located primarily in 18 states and Puerto Rico. Humana offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services – through traditional and Internet based plans – to individuals, employer groups and government-sponsored plans. More information regarding Humana is available via the Internet at www.humana.com, including: HumanaOne Individual Health Plan is currently available in Illinois and Ohio. The plan will be made available in additional states in the near future. At this time, we are unable to specify exactly where or when due to the complexities of obtaining state regulatory approvals. If you have questions or would like more information about HumanaOne, please contact:
Agents: 1.800.833.6931
Or, send an E-mail to: individualsales@humana.com |
|
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Mark Mathis  |
|